Impact of coronavirus on education

Impact of coronavirus on education

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus devastated the globe taking a death toll on more than 200 countries and territories. As in the 4th month of the outbreak over 2.63 million people were infected resulting death of over 150 thousand people worldwide. Coronavirus also has been believed to be originated in the wildlife market in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in late December 2019.

The pandemic has affected educational systems worldwide, leading to the near-total closures of schools, universities and colleges. School closures impact not only students, teachers, and families, but have far-reaching economic and societal consequences. Schools are hubs of social activity and human interaction. When schools are closed, many children and youth miss out on social contact that is essential to learning and development. When schools close parents are often asked to facilitate the learning of children at home and can struggle to perform this task. This is especially true for parents with limited education and resources. Even when school closures are temporary, it carries high social and economic costs.

School closures negatively impact student learning outcomes. Schooling provides essential learning and when schools close, children and youth are deprived of opportunities for growth and development. In response to school closures caused by COVID-19, UNESCO recommends the use of distance learning programmes and open educational applications and platforms that schools and teachers can use to reach learners remotely and limit the disruption of education. But lack of access to technology or fast, reliable internet access can prevent students in rural areas and from disadvantaged families and lack of access to technology or good internet connectivity is an obstacle to continued learning, especially for students from disadvantaged families.

Barnali Saikia,

Cotton University 

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